Syracuse Football: Taj Harris’ draft stock could rise
Syracuse football wide receiver, Taj Harris has elevated his game in time for his junior season. That could pay off for his NFL Draft stock.
Through three games Taj Harris has made his presence felt. The star receiver for Syracuse football has done more than show out for the Orange but is also one of the top threats in the ACC. Harris’s improvements may be enough to garner attention for the NFL Draft.
I’d be lying if I said Harris hasn’t been a stud ever since he put on his first pair of orange slacks and navy blue shirt. But in year three, it’s clear that he has taken it up a level, all while doing that with a much less talented quarterback.
Harris has 11 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns through three games. If he continues at this pace, he’ll finish the year with a third consecutive 35 reception season. But more importantly, his yards would set a career-high, and Harris needs just two more endzone catches to set a career-high in that category.
By the end of the season, Harris is on pace on break or shatter all of his personal bests. He’s currently 44th in college football in receiving yards and tied for 28th in receiving touchdowns, according to ESPN.
His numbers aren’t as quite as spectacular as Amba Etta-Tawo’s senior stats and don’t even match Jamal Custis’ production. But all of that needs to be taken with a grain of salt. They benefitted from Eric Dungey’s signal calling mastery, a much more fine-tuned offensive line, and other great skill players around them. This isn’t to say that Nykeim Johnson or Sean Tucker have gone unnoticed. But when compared to Steve Ishmael, Donate Strickland, Moe Neal, or Sean Riley, it simply doesn’t match up.
Instead, Harris is the guy most teams gameplan for and will struggle to get free, because the talent around him isn’t what it has been in past years. So when looking at stats, Harris won’t pop out of the page, but they do tell the story of a consistent receiver who makes big plays and moves the chains forward.
In terms of the NFL Draft, it’s a long way away. There are plenty of players in Harris’ position and a lot of guys who have more potential. But at 6-foot-2, Harris has a good figure for a deep threat that can go up for the ball as well. He can also be used in the slot because his speed can separate him from slower defenders.
But above all of this, Harris has had a tough time trying to get open this season, yet hasn’t complained and has gotten the work done. An attitude like that is welcome at the NFL level, and his play on the field is surely good enough for at least a chance.